Monte Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi
1,444 m
Italy
Also known as MolareAlso known as
Molare
- Elevation
- 1,444 m
- Prominence
- 1,245 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Lift closedReported 17 Apr 2025
The Faito cable car from Castellammare di Stabia has been closed since the crash of 17 April 2025 in which four people died; as of April 2026 it was still out of service with much of the area under judicial seizure, and the Faito plateau could only be reached by road via Vico Equense.
metropolisweb.itAdvisoryReported 15 Nov 2025
CAI Monti Lattari alert on path 350: a growing landslide affects the final stretch between the base and the summit of the Molare. A user report of 15 November 2025 says it does not prevent passage but great care is needed. The alert itself carries no date.
caimontilattari.it
Routes
1Sources differ: E (CAI Monti Lattari (path 350); liberoricercatore.it)
The usual way to the Molare, highest point of the Monti Lattari and the Sorrento peninsula: from the road on the Monte Faito plateau near the San Michele sanctuary, through beech woods past the Acqua Santa spring to the foot of the Molare, then a short, steep path with an exposed step and a landslide scar to the summit (1,444 m).
About 4% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 3 check notes
- ascent 279 m is 1.7× the net gain 162 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- last routed vertex 56 m from the summit
- unresolved waypoints: Molare–Conocchia fork
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 2.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +279 m
- −118 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,444 m
- Time Up
- 1h 26m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 13m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
With the Faito cable car closed since the April 2025 accident, Monte Faito is reached by road from Vico Equense. Below the San Michele Arcangelo sanctuary (1,278 m), at a hairpin of the via Nuova Monte Faito near the Castellone, a stony parking area marks the start of the path to the Molare. It first descends past the Acqua delle Scorchie spring, then climbs steadily through beech woods on the shady north side, sharing the line of the Alta Via dei Monti Lattari (CAI 300) and passing the Acqua Santa spring (about 1,235 m), known for rare plants such as Pinguicula hirtiflora. At the fork of path 300 between the Molare and the Conocchia, path 350 leaves the Alta Via for the base of the Molare. From the plateau on the south side a steep path climbs to the summit (1,444 m) in about 10 minutes; take care at an exposed step near the start. A landslide affects this final stretch and has been growing; the CAI urges great caution, though in November 2025 it did not prevent passage. The summit gives a 360° view over the Gulf of Naples, the Salerno coast and the Campanian plain. Return the same way, or make a loop over the Croce della Conocchia (1,387 m), the Terrazza del Dottore and Pian del Pero on the barer, rockier south side (about 8 km and 5 hours with stops from the old cable car square). An unmarked path north of the Molare towards the Scalandrone saddle is signposted as dangerous and is not a CAI path. The full CAI 350, 'Il sentiero dell'Angelo', climbs from Castellammare di Stabia (130 m) in about 5 h 20.
Start
Castellone (Monte Faito)1,283 m
- The Faito cable car from Castellammare di Stabia has been closed since the accident of 17 April 2025; no public transport to the Faito plateau was verified. The full CAI 350 starts in Castellammare di Stabia (Circumvesuviana).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castellone (Monte Faito) → Molare | 2.1 | 279 | 118 | 1h 26m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Castellone (Monte Faito)1,283 m
Approximate; the parking is near the Castellone locality
- Waypoint: Acqua delle Scorchie1,221 m
- Waypoint: Sorgente Acqua Santa1,282 m
Junction of CAI 300 and 350; water
- Summit: Molare1,444 m
Key Passages
- Exposed step at the start of the final climb
- Landslide on the final stretch to the summit (CAI alert)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
The three-topped limestone ridge (1,444 m) at the heart of the Sorrento peninsula, highest point of the Monti Lattari, rising directly above both the Gulf of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Its main top, the Molare, is a half-day hike from the Monte Faito plateau, with a short, steep finish.
Monte Sant'Angelo a Tre Pizzi is the culminating massif of the Monti Lattari, the limestone spine of the Sorrento peninsula between Castellammare di Stabia, Vico Equense, Pimonte and Agerola. Its three tops are the Molare (Monte San Michele, 1,444 m, the main summit), the Canino (Monte di Mezzo, 1,426 m) and the Catiello or Caldara (Monte Catello, 1,390 m). With more than 1,200 m of prominence and the sea on both sides, the summit view takes in the whole Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius, Capri and Ischia, the Gulf of Salerno and the Campanian plain.
The usual approach starts on the wooded Monte Faito plateau to the north-west, where shady beech forest, springs and rare plants (around the Acqua Santa spring) give a cool walk even in summer. The waymarked paths of the CAI Monti Lattari, including the Alta Via (300) and the 'Sentiero dell'Angelo' (350), lead to the foot of the Molare, from where a steep, short path climbs to the top. The final section is affected by a growing landslide, and the ridge paths linking the three tops have exposed rock passages.
Since the fatal Faito cable car accident of April 2025 the cable car from Castellammare has not run, and the Faito plateau can only be reached by the long road from Vico Equense, so the area is quieter than it was.
Climbing Notes
In normal conditions the hike to the Molare is graded E: allow a half day from the Faito road, about 5 hours for the loop over the Conocchia, or 5 h 20 up for the full CAI 350 from Castellammare di Stabia. The last 10 minutes are steep and loose, with an exposed step and a landslide scar; go carefully and avoid it in wet conditions. Carry water, as the springs can be weak or dry late in the season. Leaf litter can hide the path after the sanctuary, so a GPS track helps; the CAI Monti Lattari publishes tracks and path status online.
Linking the Molare, Canino and Catiello along the ridge is a more serious outing with exposed rock passages (Passo del Lupo / Malopasso on the Scalandrone path); the unmarked path north of the Molare towards the Scalandrone is signposted as dangerous. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; in summer start early, and in winter snow and ice can make the final slope treacherous.
History
The mountain takes its name from the cult of the Archangel Michael, whose sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo stands on the Monte Faito (1,278 m) at the start of the usual route. The Faito cable car from Castellammare di Stabia, reopened in 2016 after a long closure, brought record numbers of visitors to the plateau until a hauling cable broke on 17 April 2025, killing four people; the line has remained closed under judicial investigation since.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Occasional snow and ice on the final slope
- Feb
- Possible snow; short days
- Mar
- Mild; check for late snow
- Apr
- Spring flowers; good conditions
- May
- Good conditions
- Jun
- Warm; shady woods help
- Jul
- Hot and hazy; start early
- Aug
- Hot; springs may be dry
- Sep
- Warm; clearer air later in the month
- Oct
- Good conditions; autumn colours
- Nov
- Leaf litter hides the path; rain
- Dec
- Rain and occasional snow
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Parco Regionale dei Monti Lattari: stay on waymarked paths
- Parts of Monte Faito around the cable car remain under judicial seizure after the April 2025 accident
- The unmarked path north of the Molare towards the Scalandrone is signposted as dangerous and is not a CAI path
- Getting There
Vico Equense; Castellammare di Stabia
Naples International Airport (NAP)
- By car: from Vico Equense up the mountain road to the Monte Faito plateau (the only road access while the old road from Castellammare remains closed)
- Rail: Circumvesuviana to Castellammare di Stabia (start of the full CAI 350) or Vico Equense
- The Faito cable car (Castellammare di Stabia – Monte Faito) is closed
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather